Barcelona announces it has severed ties with Israel

The Barcelona City Council has decided to halt all institutional relations with Israel, describing the events in Gaza as "inhumane."

The City Council announced that relations with Israel will be suspended and the sister-city agreement with Tel Aviv will be frozen until respect for international law is demonstrated.

Deputy Mayor Maria Eugenia Gay described the situation in Gaza as "barbaric and unbearable," stating, "This situation is a challenge to Western values, and the Barcelona City Council supports international pressure."

The decision was supported by the Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC), Comuns, and the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), while right-wing parties abstained. The resolution includes provisions such as ending cooperation with pro-Israel companies, prohibiting Israeli stands at the Barcelona Fair, and implementing an arms embargo.

The Barcelona City Council condemned the loss of life in Gaza, the blockade on humanitarian aid, and the expansion of settlements in the West Bank. Furthermore, the annexation of Palestinian territories and forced displacements were also criticized.

In February 2023, a similar decision was made during the term of former Mayor Ada Colau, but the new Mayor, Jaume Collboni, had previously resumed relations with Tel Aviv. The Catalan autonomous government also recently decided to close its representative offices in Tel Aviv in protest of Israel's military operations in Gaza.